Can You Hear The Liberty Bell Ringing?
by KnifeInTheCrayonBox
Summary: The year is 1782 and the news of Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown has spread through the colonies. For the colonists this means the war for independence is finally coming to an end! For the British, it's a defeating loss. When a group of British soldiers comes to Felicity's town looking for shelter, Felicity meets a young soldier, and at the same time her friend Ben is coming home
1. Intimidating

The war was finally coming to an end! Not only was it all anyone ever talked about, but you could just feel it in the air! There was a newfound sense of freedom, and everyone was rejoicing…well, almost everyone. My best friend Elizabeth and her family were loyalists, which meant they would always be loyal to the king. It wasn't hard to see why.

When rumors of war sprung up in early spring of 1774, they had just moved to Williamsburg from England. Although Elizabeth and I had differing views-she being a loyalist, and I being a patriot-we still managed to stay best friends throughout the war. With the exception of our differing view on the King and the colonies, we were very much alike. For one thing, we both loved horses; another thing was we both missed our fathers. Elizabeth's father had been forced to move to New York in winter of 1774 because it was safer for loyalists there, leaving his wife and two daughters, Annabelle and Elizabeth, to manage the household in his absence. I could sympathize with Elizabeth because my father was gone frequently too.

He and Marcus, a young black man who worked for father at his store, often left. They were both commissary agents, which meant that they gathered supplies for the Patriot's army to help them defeat the British. At first when father and Marcus were gone, Ben and I were left in charge of the store, but in the December of 1776, when Ben turned eighteen, he left to go join the Patriot army.

When Ben was sixteen he had run away from his apprenticeship agreement with my father to join George Washington's army to fight for our independence. But I had found him and made him realize how dangerous and foolish it was to run away from a promise and from people who loved him. He and my father had worked out a deal that when he turned eighteen, if he still wished to join the militia, my father would let him, but when the war was over, he would come back and serve the two remaining years of his apprenticeship. Ever since Ben left, my younger siblings-Nan, William, Polly-and I had been left in charge of the store whenever father and Marcus were gone.

Father and Marcus were gone often, sometimes for a whole weeks at a time, leaving me in charge of the store in addition to my duties at home. There was cooking, mending, cleaning, and I also had to watch over Polly. Nan had grown a lot since the start of the war and she often helped at home, but times were still tough and most of the time I went to bed exhausted. Oftentimes mother noted that I would make a notable housewife for any young man, and sometimes that praise was what kept me going.

Of course, now that I was seventeen, almost eighteen, and at the age to marry, mother had been dropping more hints than usual about the young men who came to our house often. One or two could be counted on weekly to make a visit. I always turned down each one of them, and it didn't escape mother's notice, either. It was one chilly October day in 1782 that she brought up the subject yet _again_, as we were peeling potatoes in the kitchen. A young man named John had just come by not more than ten minutes earlier, and, as per usual, I sent him away.

"Felicity, you _must_ stop rejecting every young man who comes to call upon you. 'Tis not right for a young lady of your age to reject so many young men who wish to court you. You would make a notable housewife for any one of them."

"But mother, I cannot see myself marrying any of the men who come to call upon me. Why must I court them if I do not wish to marry them? Shouldn't I marry someone I love?"

"Yes, but if you reject every young man before you even get to know them, how can you expect to love them? Love takes time to grow, it is not a sudden thing. It cannot be rushed."

"When you first met father did you love him?" A smile played on mother's lips when I asked that.

"No, but I thought he was very handsome. I fell in love with him a month after we started courting." A dreamy look appeared on her face for a moment before she snapped out of her daze and turned to me.

"Lissie, just please give them a chance," she said before picking up a pot of water filled apple slices and walking over to the fireplace. I continued to peel potatoes and think about what mother said. I always liked to believe that when the right man came I would suddenly know somehow that he was the one I would marry. But mother and father were happy together, and that had not been the case with them. Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Felicity, could you answer the door?" my mother asked from her position in front of the fire. I nodded and wiped my hands on my apron before walking over to the door and opening it. I half expected it to be George again, so I was surprised to see Robert, a boy I had met at Elizabeth's birthday party a couple weeks ago. I noticed he had one hand hidden behind his back, and he had trouble looking me in the eye.

'Hello, Robert," I greeted him politely.

"Hello, Felicity," he said shyly, dropping his eyes to the ground again. Suddenly he jerked his hand from behind his back and thrust a bouquet of flowers at me.

"I…I saw them on my way home and I thought of you. I hope you like them," he said before walking away briskly. I raised an eyebrow and let out a chuckle before closing the door. I walked back into the kitchen and my mom eyed me wearily when she saw the flowers in my hand.

"Felicity-" she began with a sigh.

"He ran away before I could say anything!" I defended myself before she could start again. She let out a laugh before turning back to the pot of apples above the fire.

"He is probably intimidated by you," she remarked.

"Well I cannot help it if he is scared of me. There is nothing to be afraid of, " I replied with a shrug, tossing the flowers on the table.

"You are more outspoken and independent than most girls your age, and to some boys, it is daunting."

"Ben was never scared of me," I said defiantly, crossing my arms.

"That's because you and Ben were so much alike," she said, giving me a knowing gaze.

"Well then maybe I should court Ben!" I joked. Mother gave me a serious smile and nodded.

"That would not be such a bad idea," she said.

"Mother, I was only joking. I could never court Ben, he is one of my dearest friends," I replied.

"And that is exactly why it would be a good match," she replied. Before I could think of a response a sudden knocking came from the door. I bit my tongue and walked over to the door, wondering who it would be this time. There had never been three suitors in one day before, so I was both relieved and surprised to see a middle-aged man I had never seen before standing on our porch. I suddenly noticed his bright red uniform and scowled. A redcoat.

"Excuse me, miss, but I am the commander of a British regime, and we need a place to stay. Would you be willing to quarter us in your house?" he asked politely, but I could see in his eyes that it was more of a demand than a request.

"I'm sorry sir, but no, and we are under no obligation to grant your request now that the American colonies have broken away from Britain and won our independence." He seemed surprised by my response for a moment, but quickly regained his composure.

"Have you never heard, young lady, that disobedience is a fatal flaw among women?"

"Lissie, who is at the door?" my mother called from the kitchen before I could reply. I glared at him before answering her.

"A British commander," I answered. A minute later my mother rushed to the door while wiping her hands on her apron.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked, covering up her distain for the man with a mask of indifference.

"Yes, you may teach your daughter to be respectful while talking to a man, and you may grant my army a place to rest in your home," he said with an air of authority. I bit down on my lip to keep from saying something unladylike.

"I teach my daughter to respect everyone, and as for your soldiers, I cannot grant them permission to stay here," she said, keeping her voice even.

"Ma'am, that was not a question," he relied, his voice deepening.

"And my reply is not subject for debate," my mother said, putting a hand on the door.

"You best get off our land before my father comes home and makes you leave," I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Thank you for your time, ma'am," he hissed, ignoring my reply and tipping his hat in farewell. I smiled as I watched his retreating figure walk back to the other redcoats waiting in the streets. Mother closed the door and walked back to the kitchen.

"Felicity, you must watch your tongue, that was not something a gentlewoman would say," she chastised me gently.

"But mother, he was acting very rude," I defended myself.

"A gentlewoman is always polite, even when the person they are talking to is not," she said before walking back to the pot over the fireplace.

"When will the soldiers go back to England, mother?" I asked as I set the table.

"I do not know. I do, however, hope this war ends soon so the soldiers will be able to go home to their families in England," she said sympathetically, shaking her head.

"I cannot wait until the war is over so father will not have to be gone so much, and Ben will come home," I said in yearning.

"Yes, it will be good to have the men come back to their families. War often drives friends and families apart," she said sadly.

"But it also brings people together, right mother?" I asked.

"Aye, that is can, Felicity, but more often than not it does more harm than good. No one should ever wish for war," she said, turning to face me with a most serious look in her eyes. "War can change people too."

I looked away and was silent for a minute before turning my eyes back to mother.

"Do you think Ben will be different?" I asked quietly.

"He will be different in some ways, but let us pray he will still be the same Ben we knew all those years ago," she replied with a smile. I beamed back at her before we both turned back to our work.

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**I hope everyone is in character for this scene, and if they aren't, feel free to let me know. I haven't read the books in a while, but I have watched the movie recently. The next parts should be better since I'll be borrowing the books from the library soon.**

**Anyways if you like it don't be shy; Leave a review. =)**


	2. A Kindness For A Kindness

"Felicity, you are about to burn the apple butter!" Nan's shrill voice shook me from my daydreaming and I glanced down at the pot of gooey apples to see that I'd stopped stirring. With a sigh I stared to move the wooden spoon in a circular motion.

"Felicity, what do you daydream about?" she asked curiously, hopping up onto the wooden stool next to the fireplace.

"Lots of things, like Penny and Patriot, Ben-"

"You daydream about Ben?" she asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Are you in love with him?"

I laughed aloud and shook my head.

"No, of course not, Nan. I do not daydream about him like _that_," I clarified, giving her an amused look. "I just cannot wait to see him again. It has been so long since we have seen him and so long since we have received even a letter from him."

"Do you also daydream about the young men that come to call upon you?" she asked.

"No, I hardly think about them expect when I open the door to see them standing there," I replied with a shrug.

"Oh, I wish young men would come to court me, but mother says I am not yet old enough," Nan said with a wishful look on her face.

"Don't be so anxious to grow up, Nan. Your time will come soon enough, enjoy the time you have to be young," I said as I mixed the apples. I looked down at the bubbling pot and smiled.

"I think the apples are ready, Nan," I turned my eyes to her and she smiled brightly.

"Oh, I will go tell mother and maybe she will let us have some!" she exclaimed, getting down slowly from her chair and taking, small, dainty steps into the other room. No matter how excited she got she always made sure she behaved like a perfect gentlewoman. Even though Nan was fourteen and I was seventeen, mother sometimes pointed to her as an example of how I should behave. As I took the pot from it's place above the fireplace and took it to the kitchen I heard a knock on the door.

"Nan, can you get the door? I have my hands full," I called as I carried the heavy pot.

"Yes," she called back softly. I poured the hot mixture into a churner and got ready to put another batch of apples into the pot when I heard the door open, and Nan say sweetly,

"How may I help you, sir?"

Suddenly there was a scream and I ran into the kitchen to see Nan lying on the ground, looking up at a wild-eyed man in a British soldier's uniform, who looked around frantically. I felt an anger fill up inside of me when I saw Nan sitting on the ground, close to tears.

"Leave me sister, alone!" I yelled at him, walking up to him. His eyes landed on me and he narrowed them before walking over to me and pushing me aside.

"You are trespassing, get out of our house!" I yelled at him, jumping up and following him into the kitchen. When I saw him taking food from our pantries and tables I ran over to him and grabbed his arm.

"That is our food!" I cried. With one swipe he knocked me onto the floor and turned back to taking our food.

"Under the Quartering Act of the great King George of England you are required to feed and house British troops," he snarled before walking back out of the room. My arm still hurt from the blow it received but I got up and walked out just in time to see Nan run up to the man and try and grab some of the food he held in his arms.

He simply knocked her down before turning slowly to look at her. "You're a feisty one aren't you? And not too bad looking either," he said with an evil grin on his face. Nan's eyes widened in fear as she scrambled to her feet, but her dress got caught under her feet and she fell back down to the ground. The man slowly set the food down before taking a long stride over to Nan and grabbing her by the arm.

I sprang to my feet and pounded my fists against the man. "Let go of her!" I cried. Suddenly my mother rushed into the room and when she saw what was going on she gasped.

"What on earth!" she gasped, her eyes growing wide. The man pushed Nan to the ground and climbed on top of her as she screamed. Then, for the first time in my life, I heard mother raise her voice.

"Get off of my daughter!" my mother cried, lunging for the man. She dropped to her knees and tried to push him off of Nan, but he only reeled back his hand and smacked her across the face. When I saw my mother fly back, a red mark on her face, a fury filled me that I had never felt before.

"Stop it! Stop it!" I yelled at him, clawing, biting and kicking anywhere I could in an attempt to get him off of Nan. I scraped my nails across his cheeks and I saw a thin red line of blood appear before he turned to me with fire in his eyes. I hardly had time to respond when I felt a sudden pain in my chest as I was thrown back against the wall. I bent forward and gasped in desperation, trying to breath.

I looked up with pain and fear in my eyes as I saw the man hold Nan down with one arm and throw her skirts back with the other. I struggled to stand when suddenly we all heard the cocking of a gun. We all froze and turned to look at the open door to see a British soldier standing there, pointing his gun at the other man.

"Get off of her," he commanded. The man turned around slowly to look at the younger man.

"Get out of here, boy," he said, his voice low and threatening.

"Not until you leave this family alone. You know Commander Walker won't tolerate this," he said firmly, gripping the gun tighter and putting his finger over the trigger. With a low growl he slowly got up and walked out of the house. Mother, Nan and I stared at the soldier with the gun in shock.

"I am so sorry about this," he said with a look of sympathy in his eyes before closing the door and leaving. For a moment everything was dead silent, and then suddenly, Nan began to wail. I looked over at her to see tears pouring down her face. I crawled over to her and wrapped my arms around her protectively.

"It is alright now, Nan. I am not going to let anyone hurt you," I whispered to her as she continued to sob. Mother took a deep breath and held back tears in her eyes as she got up and walked over to us. She bent down and rubbed Nan's back soothingly as she continued to cry and tremble.

I looked up at my mom to see the red mark on mother's cheek starting to turn a sickly yellow color. A bruise would be there by tomorrow. Suddenly I heard the sound of light footsteps trotting down the stairs and turned to see William and Polly standing at the top of the stairs, confused and slightly frightened looks on their young faces.

"Children, go back to your rooms. I will be there in a moment," mother said, her voice trying to stay even. They rushed back to their rooms and mother turned to look at me before standing up and climbing the stairs to their rooms. I swallowed back my tears and fear and held onto Nan like she might be taken from us at any minute.

Later on that day I sat in Nan's bedchambers, still calming and comforting her. I laid back onto the pillows on her bed and brushed her hair away from her face as tears rolled down her eyes. She did not talk or make a sound, she just stared at the wall with a frightened look on her face.

"Nan?" I asked, and she turned to look at me as if she hadn't noticed I was there before. She turned her eyes back to the wall and was silent for a moment.

"I suppose I should be thankful that nothing more happened," she whispered, and then turned her big green eyes over to be, "But I was so scared Lissie. And then I think about what he might have done if that man had not…" Her bottom lip quivered for a minute before she leaned over and pressed her face into the soft lace of my gown.

"It's alright, Nan. Father and Ben will be home soon, and they won't let anything happen to us. No one will _ever_ hurt you again, Nan. I won't let them," I said firmly as I ran my fingers through her light, copper colored hair. Soon she feel asleep and I moved her head over to the pillow before bending over and kissing her on the forehead. I heard voices downstairs so I walked silently out of the door, closing the door behind me, before walking downstairs.

I saw a man in a British officer's uniform, standing in the doorway with my mom standing in front of him, her hand firmly on the door. I could see her knuckles were white from gripping the wood and felt a protective feeling well up inside of me. I was tired of seeing redcoats! Why couldn't they just leave us alone?!

I took a deep breath and consoled myself with the fact that at least it was not the man from before. This man was a bit older, with black hair and a long mustache.

"I came to apologize for the actions of one of my soldiers today. I can assure you, ma'am, that such behavior is not tolerated in our regime, and the man will be punished for his actions," he said. I walked up to the door and put my hands on my hips as I glared at him.

"That man should come and apologize himself for what he did to my sister! Nan will not stop crying!" I snapped at him. The man cast me a disapproving look before turning his eyes back to my mother.

"I bid you a good night, ma'am," he said with a tip of his hat before he walked away. Mother closed the door and then turned to me.

"Felicity-" she began, but I cut her off before she could reprimand me.

"But mother, it is not fair! Why must I be polite after what he did to Nan? You should have seen her, crying in her room! She was very upset and scared!" I cried, exasperated.

"I know, Lissie. I know," she sighed before walking up the stairs to Nan's room.

I walked slowly up to my room and closed the door before walking over to the window that overlooked the street below. I let out a sigh as I sat on the seat by the window and gazed down at the homeless and poor people, warming themselves by a fire they made by the edge of the street.

Suddenly I spotted a bright red coat that shone from the light of the flames. I squinted and from what I could see of his face from the firelight, I recognized him as the man who had saved us earlier today. He walked towards the fire, but as soon as he got close a man walked up to him and pushed him away roughly. He stumbled back and the other people surrounding the fire turned to him. Some took a step or two in his direction, while others glared, as if a silent warning that we was not welcome there. He stood there for a moment or two before finally walking off towards the woods behind our house.

I felt a sympathy for him quite like the sympathy I could see in his eyes before he closed the door. I put a determined look on my face as I walked over to my closet and pulled out a thick, woolen blanket that I hardly ever used. Then, I raced down to the pantry and pulled off half a loaf of bread and a couple apples before placing them on top of the blanket. I grabbed a nearby basket and put all the stuff in it.

"What are you doing, Lissie?" a voice asked from behind me. I turned around, startled, to see my mother standing inside the doorway.

"I was going to take these things to somebody who needs them," I explained, hoping she would let me go. She stared at me for a minute before letting out a small sigh.

"Alright, but do not stay out too long."

No sooner had the words left her mouth than I was walking out the door towards the woods behind our house. I walked down the small path that father had made and found the soldier from earlier leaning against a tree, his eyes closed. When he heard my footsteps approaching his eyes shot open and he stared at me.

"Sir, I brought you a blanket to keep you warm, and some food to eat," I said softly as I walked over to him and placed the basket on the ground. I couldn't make out much in the darkness, but I could see that he had hair as golden as corn in the summer, and eyes as green as soft pasture grass. He raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"But, why are you doing this?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same question. Why did you defend my family earlier from that man?" I asked, turning his question back at him.

"Because, loyalist or not, your family did not deserve to be treated that cruelly," he said, raising his head high.

"I am helping you because, patriot or not, you are kind, and you did not deserve to be chased away by those colonists in the street. Also, because you saved my sister. A kindness for a kindness," I said softly. He looked at me surprised for a minute before smiling at me.

"Thank you, miss," he said with a small tip of his hat.

"You are quite welcome, sir," I replied, and then with a smile I stood up and walked back to the house.

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**Well, Ben should be appearing in the next chapter and then the story will really get moving then. I hope you're enjoying the story so far =)**


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